I’ve noticed that when meeting a foreign person, mentioning that you like a beloved artist from their country is one of the best way to create a good vibe.

Which revered artist/group (not necessarily musician) from your place should I learn about?

A few examples I’m thinking about (correct me if I’m wrong):

Country Artist
Argentina Carlos Gardel
Australia Powderfinger
Austria Mozart, Falco, Thomas Bernhard
Beligum Jacques Brel, Stromae
Brazil Raul Seixas, Zé Ramalho
Cabo Verde Cesária Évora
Canada Leonard Cohen, Céline Dion, Gordon Lightfoot
Egypt Umm Kulthum
France Daft Punk
Germany Kraftwerk, Die Ärzte, Franz Kafka
Iceland Björk
Italy Elio e le Storie Tese
Malawai Evison Matafale
Mali Salif Keita
Scotland The Proclaimers, Sean Connery
Sweden Astrid Lindgren
USA Dolly Parton

Edit: Spent my Saturday morning vibing, adding the “consensual” suggestions to the table.

  • SanguinePar@lemmy.world
    7·
    2 years ago

    Scotland - probably the best chance of a good reaction is to mention The Proclaimers (they of the 500 Miles song)

    Although personally I’m not a fan! So if you’re in Dunfermline, mention The Skids and you’ll probably be alright :-)

    • oce 🐆@jlai.luOP
      2·
      2 years ago

      Chuck Tingle is a pseudonymous author, primarily of niche gay erotica. The stories mainly take the form of monster erotica, featuring romantic and sexual encounters with dinosaurs, imaginary creatures, anthropomorphized inanimate objects, and even abstract concepts.

      •̀ ͜ﻌ•́

  • bermuda@beehaw.org
    3·
    2 years ago

    I’m American but when I visited Iceland everybody loved Björk and loved talking about Björk. She’s like a national icon

  • Mandy@beehaw.org
    2·
    2 years ago

    For Austria, you can mention an old internationally known classic, falco

    or e.a.v.

    these will never have you out of place

  • TheHalc@sopuli.xyz
    2·
    2 years ago

    When I spent a little time in Malawi, people always loved it if you recognised Evison Matafale’s music.

  • vettnerk@lemmy.ml
    2·
    2 years ago

    Depends on the crowd, so here are a few options in the order of my preference:

    • The Kovenant (Not to be confused with Covenant. They’re swedish and awful)
    • Dumdum Boys
    • Postgirobygget

    Honorable mention: Circus Maximus. They’d be ranked on top of this list if I believed that the random norwegian you ran into had ever heard of them.

  • Lvxferre@lemmy.ml
    2·
    2 years ago

    [Double comment to avoid editing the other] This album (Kayah and Bregović) can be used for two countries, if you want - as the singer (Kayah) is from Poland, and the instrumental is from Goran Bregović, from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

  • autumn@reddthat.comEnglish
    1·
    2 years ago

    I’m watching this thread with great interest 👀

    For the US, maybe Dolly Parton?

  • Lvxferre@lemmy.ml
    21·
    2 years ago

    I usually have a hard time answering questions like this. For me, art is art; I don’t really care if the artist in question pays or paid taxes to the same government as I do.

    That said, I guess that either Zé Ramalho or Raul Seixas would be good bets. Other better known artists are a bit more divisive, or stuff that you’d only hear if you’re into a specific style (often regional).

    Another possibility would be literature, more specifically Machado de Assis. Because even people who hate him (due to his pedantic writing style - the guy is from late 1800s, but harder to parse than Shakespeare) usually admit that he’s good.

    • oce 🐆@jlai.luOP
      1·
      2 years ago

      I usually have a hard time answering questions like this. For me, art is art; I don’t really care if the artist in question pays or paid taxes to the same government as I do.

      I understand what you mean, but my question is about which artist you think your compatriots would be happy to hear about on average to show them that you have some interest in their culture.

      • Lvxferre@lemmy.ml
        1·
        2 years ago

        but my question is about which artist you think your compatriots would be happy to hear about

        I answered it, alongside the part that you’re quoting: Zé Ramalho (singer), Raul Seixas (singer), Machado de Assis (writer).

        Raul Seixas in special would be my first bet.